Lovers Not Without Sin | Dutch van der Linde x OC

Chapter 34

"I don't think I've ever had a week-long hangover before," Ada grumbles into the pile of dishes she's washing, the remnants of food in the pan too stubborn for her to scrub all the way off.

"You're the one that wanted to get as drunk as Uncle on a Wednesday afternoon, I got no sympathy for you." Tilly scoffs, flicking some of the water in her direction.

"You kids these days really can't handle your drink! Wednesday's are light days," Uncle guffaws, passing by with his own ironic drink in hand.

Ada grabs a cloth to dry herself and her hands as Tilly raises her brows to prove her point. "Just because you never lay off long enough to actually feel your hangover."

"Precisely! I am a genius." His apparel states otherwise; walking away from the pair with the flap on his union suit half-open, revealing an unsightly view Ada wishes she could burn out of her mind. Thankfully, the sight is replaced with a heart-warming one as Arthur walks back from the lake with a smiling Jack in his arms. Tilly and Ada share a knowing glance, both of them part of the small group of people in camp that've picked up on Arthur's particular affliction for the abandoned mother and son.

His path is broken by the intrusion of Dutch, extending his arms out with a gleeful expression plastered on his face. "Arthur, my boy!"

"You okay?" he responds, allowing his mentor to clap a hand on his shoulder.

"Just swell, son. An opportunity has arisen, one we cannot miss," Dutch steers Arthur towards a table and gestures for him to sit.

"You seem excited," Arthur hands Jack to Abigail who thanks him with a nod, not before throwing a confused glance at Dutch's enthusiasm so early in the morning and swiftly departing so she doesn't have to sit through his latest idea.

"Oh I am, this is a good one. Adaline," he calls over to her, "if you'd be so kind as to join us for a moment."

"Adaline?" Tilly snorts as Ada stands, wiping her hands on her trousers.

"Don't," Ada points as a warning, ignoring the continuation of her friend's vocalised amusement from behind as she walks to the table. "Don't call me that," she grumbles at Dutch upon her arrival.

"I didn't know you had a fancy name," Arthur teases.

She rolls her eyes, knowing he won't let this one go and reminded of why she kept that information to herself and sits herself down beside him. "What, you thought it was just Ada?"

He shrugs and opens his mouth, to be interrupted by Dutch clearing his throat and placing his hands down on the table opposite them, giving them a cautionary glance each.

"As I was saying, we have an opportunity," he continues to look between the now-silenced pair, sitting almost like scolded school children and Dutch clears his throat. "Thanks to Mr Trelawny, we have an in at some high-society party."

"The hell we gonna do there?" Arthur scoffs.

"Connections. Make a few friends, find out about some more opportunities that we can get involved with."

"Can't we just rob 'em?"

"No," Dutch holds his hands up, "no robbing."

"Who's going?"

"The three of us, Hosea, Trelawny of course..."

"What about me?" An eavesdropping Sean demands, his repeater slung over his shoulder from his now-finished guard duty.

Dutch twists his torso round to offer him a pitying look. "You've got to blend in with the rich, which is impossible to do when you'll just torment them. If we need any of their possessions torching, you'll be first in line for the job."